I echo Bob's opinion... other difficult paints to match are metallics and translucents due to their reflective characteristics and components. The solid (opaque) colors that tend to fade the quickest and are hard to match due to fade are red, yellow, and orange. The color black is hard to match in large areas because the repainted area stands out like a sore thumb. The easiest solid color to match is white.
Bob is correct that using a color analyzer is not effective for bike paint matches and requires a 2 inch square flat surface area to measure properly for solid colors only (metallics and translucents wont work with it). I agree that a an experienced eye like Joe Bell or a good auto paint mixing shop can do a great job at matching paint, but keep in mind that you have to use the exact primer, hardner, clearcoat, etc to try to attain a color match you need. Mixing manufacturer products with other OEMs brings unwanted color shifts from what you expect. Keep in mind that the color sprayed may shift in tint slightly once the paint cures and/or if a clear top coat is applied
Just my 2 cents worth about past painting experiences...
Regards, Steve Neago
Cincinnati, OH
>
> In a message dated 5/29/03 11:29:04 PM,
> classicrendezvous-request@bikelist.org writes:
>
> >> If they are using a mixing station from PPG, Dupont, Sickens, RM
> >> they can match anything.
>
> Unfortunately, this is not true. These machines only have good luck with
> opaque, single-layer paints. If the paint has a tinted transparent
topcoat over
> a colored basecoat or primer, they fail (often miserably) to get a good
match.
> The main problem is trying to analyze a color that is not really a single
> color. When you have a tinted overcoat, the color mix changes depending
on the
> angle of view. Even a few degrees can make a huge difference. On a bike,
> where the tubes are curved, you are not seeing one color but a whole
range...
> for example, as you approach the edge of the tube and your viewing angle
gets
> more oblique you are seeing an increasing percentage of topcoat color and
less
> base coat.
>
> So if you scan a color that is, for example, a transparent ruby topcoat
over
> a white primer, you'll be scanning thru the red at 90 degrees and your
final
> (single) color, as read by the machine, will be way, way too light.
>
> I love technology, and these machines do have their place, but the only
real
> way to reproduce some colors is to trust an expert like Joe, Jim or Brian
and
> let them match it by eye and experience.
>
> Bob Hovey
> Columbus, GA